Shoe-polishing apparatus.



B. M. SORANTON. SHOE POLISHIN G APPARATUS. APPLICATION rum) AUG. 14,1901.

Patented Oct. 13,.1908

UNITED STATEPLFATEN T OFFICE.

EDGAR M. SORANTON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CLARENCE W. McKAY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

SHOE-POLISHING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR M. SCRANTON, of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Polishing Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to devices for use in polishing shoes and particularly to the type which is designed for the use of plelrsons desiring to olish their own shoes W 'le on the feet, with the aid of a soft cloth or similar appliance which is reciprocated rapidly across the surface of the leather, and it has for its object to provide a serviceable construction employing means for preventing the polishing cloth or member from slipping off the shoe while in use.

Further objects of my invention are reduction in weight and simplicity and cheapness of manufacture.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvementsand combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus embodying my invention in use. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is an end elevation, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the front portion of the device showing the toe of a shoe and the position of the polishing member with reference thereto.

Similar reference numerals in the several figures indicate similar parts.

The device illustrated is intended to be portable and is adapted for use upon a chairseat, for instance, or other surface of convenient height, though it may be placed on the floor if desired, and it embodies a foot restor platform 1 of a width preferably equal to or slightly less than the width of the shoe, so that the latter may project laterally a little in both directions when resting thereon. At the rear end, the platform rests upon a support comprising a plate 2 arranged transversely of the platform and secured to the under side thereof in any suitable manner,

as by the screws 3. At its ends, the plate is provided with downwardly extending portions 4 forming legs which may be connected for greater rigidity by a web 5, if desired. The forward end of the plat-form is provided with a support of similar construction so far as it includes a plate 6 and separated legs 7 and these parts upon both members are preferably provided with suitable ribs 8 for stiffening and strengthening purposes. The laterally projecting portions of the plate 6, however, are turned downwardly to produce a flanged edge 13 forming an abutment, arranged a short distance back from the end of the platform and rounded to prevent the polishing cloth from being worn bv engagement therewith.

Arranged laterally and longitudinally of the platform and upon both sides thereof are provided rollers 9 journaled in the present instance upon pins 10 carried by the opposite legs of both supports.

The operation of the device generally is indicated in Fig. 1. The operator rests his foot upon the platform, passes a flexible polishing member, such as a soft cloth 11 over the toe of his shoe and under the rollers, with the free ends extending upwardly within easy reach, and by drawing these alternately up and down causes a portion of the cloth to reciprocate upon the surface of the shoe until the desired polish is obtained. Unless great care is exercised, however, during this manipulation, the cloth, during these reriprocations will work over the rounded portion of the toe and have a tendency to finally disengage therefrom entirely, and drop to the surface of the platform. To overcome this difficulty, I provide a guard or abutment 12 on the front end of the platform which rises to a height well above the toe of the shoe, and against which the latter is placed in the first instance. In rear of this guard are arranged the laterally extending abutments 13 before described, and coming into engagement with these abutments 13, the polishing member as a whole is effectually prevented from further forward movement, as indicated in Fig. 4, while at the same time, though the portion spanning the shoe may reach the extreme end of the toe, the sole of the shoe, being tightly pressed against the guard 12, the cloth is unable to slip underneath or ofi the .end of the shoe. By this contact of the polishing member with slightly sidewise and giving the cloth a rearboth the members 12 and 13, the downward strain imposed upon the portion spanning the shoe is converted, to a large extent, at this point to a rearward one, so that the cloth may be quickly directed backward again by a rearward movement of the free ends, by the operator on the subsequent reciprocation, as will be understood. The members 12 and 13, however, in no way interfere with polishing the remainder of the shoe, that is, the side and rear surfaces, as by turning the foot ward motion at the free ends, both the sides and heel of the shoe readily come in complete contact with the polishing member.

A convenient manner of forming the guard and one which I prefer, is by striking up aporl tion of the plate, intermediate the legs and extending it upwardly over the end of the platform, as shown, a method which results in economy of material and manufacturing operations.

The device, as a whole, when constructed in accordance with my invention, is both light and durable and may be produced in a manner to be available at a very low price.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a shoe polishing apparatus, the combination with a platform upon which the shoe is adapted to rest and a support therefor, of rollers extending longitudinally of the platform upon both sides thereof and jour- 5 naled in the support and a laterally extending abutment arranged at one end of the platform to project over one of the rollers at a point removed from its journal bearing for limiting the movement of a polishing cloth extending beneath the rollers and over the 1 shoe and preventing it from passing beyond l the end. of the latter.

7 2. In a shoe polishing apparatus, the c0m- 2 bination with a latform and rollers extendl ing longitudinal y thereof, of a support arranged at one end of the platform comprising a plate secured to the latter and having downwardly extending members forming legs and an upwardly projecting portion on i the plate located intermediately of the legs forming a guard arranged above the surface of the platform.

3. In a shoe polishing apparatus, the com bination with a platform and rollers extending longitudinally thereof, of a support arl ranged at one end of the platform comprising a plate secured thereto, having downwardly extending portions on its outerside forming legs, an upwardly projecting portion intermediate the latter forming a guard arranged to extend above the surface of the platform, and a flanged portion at its inner edge forming an abutment extending laterally of the platform in rear of the guard.

4. In a shoe polishing apparatus, the combination with a latform and rollers extending longitudinal y thereof, of a support ar ranged at one end of the platform comprising a plate having downwardly extending portions forming legs at one edge thereof, the epposite or inner edge being flanged forming a rounded abutment for limiting the move- I ment of a polishing cloth extending under l the rollers and on the platform.

I EDGAR M. SORANTON.

! Witnesses:

GEO. S. MCMILLAN, MAE S. WARREN. 

